Secrets Revealed
by Gemini14
Summary: Cecil's past is finally revealed! Now he and his friends must find out what happened to his father before time runs out! COMPLETE!
1. Default Chapter

Secrets Revealed: The Quest for the Truth

Chapter One: Quest's Beginning

Deedlit sighed as she mounted her gray mare. She knew where she and Parn were heading; the new Free Knight garrison.

"You need to tell him about what he really is, Deed." Parn had said, just a few minutes prior. Deedlit knew that, but she did not know how to approach someone who has gone most of his life believing that he was human. Even though he did not look like one on the outside, Cecil the mage was actually a half elf. He shared part of his parentage with Deedlit, that being their father, namely. It took about half a day to reach the new garrison, where Cecil waited, his long blond hair and cape blowing freely in the wind. His eyes still held the unquenchable fire that he had always shown, but he gave them a questioning look as they rode up.

"Hello Parn, Deedlit. I got a message a short time ago that you were coming. What's going on? What brings you back here so soon?" Cecil asked, his calm demeanor seeming out of place for someone who was usually so fiery.

"Deedlit has something she needs to tell you, Cecil. Mind if we come in?" Parn asked.

"Why are you asking me if you can come in, Parn? This is your garrison after all! But what does Deedlit have to tell me?" Cecil asked, taken aback by Parn's question.

"Let's get inside then she can tell you what she needs to." Parn said, as he ushered them inside and motioned to the guards to close the doors after them.

"I'm your WHAT?!!" Cecil yelped, not believing what Deedlit had just told him.

"It is the truth, Cecil. You are my half brother. We share the same father. You were born after our father returned to the Forest of No Return from one of his journeys. The elders were so disappointed in him that, under great pressure, he left the forest, never to be seen or heard from again." Deedlit said, as she gazed at Cecil from her seat.

"This is almost too incredible to believe! Me?! A half elf? How could that be?! I don't even have ears like an elf!" Cecil said, pacing the floor in front of Parn and Deedlit as he said so.

"Not all half elves have the ears to prove it, Cecil. Tell me, did you have any special abilities when you were younger?" Deedlit asked. Cecil hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"I was once able to summon nymphs from Sylph, but that seemed to go away after I'd reached a certain age." Cecil said, as he sat down again, facing Deedlit.

"Was that when you started your apprenticeship under Slayn?" Deedlit asked. Cecil appeared to start at the mention of his former teacher, but nodded after thinking about it.

"Cecil, your natural magic did not fade away, it is merely hidden under the magic you learned from Slayn. That is why your fire-spells don't wear you out. You have more endurance than Slayn does. You also show that natural tendency to wield a sword, even though you are well versed in magic." Deedlit said, gently.

"Deedlit, you'd said that our father disappeared. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?" Cecil asked. Deedlit shook her head.

"I don't, but maybe there is someone in the Forest of No Return who does." Deedlit said, as Cecil ushered a young squire in and whispered something in his ear. 

"Then let's start finding the answers. I want to know who my father was and where he disappeared to. Mother was never able to tell me who he was; now I know why. Deedlit, I want to learn more." Cecil said, as he gathered what he was going to need for the journey ahead.

"So you shall. But first, we need to go back to Flaim. There are a few people I would like to take along with us on this journey." Parn said, getting his conspiratory look about him.

"Who do you intend to take along, Parn?" Cecil asked, after he'd exchanged a confused look with Deedlit.

"Let's see…………….Spark, Leaf, Garrack, Grievus, Sheen, Aldonova and maybe Raina and Neese as well. Why?" Parn asked, grinning when he saw Cecil's expression.

"But King Kashue will be angry if we take Spark away from Flaim!" Cecil shouted, sounding like the Cecil Deedlit and Parn had come to know. 

"I will speak to King Kashue about that when we get there. And I think I know where to find Raina and Garrack. Don't worry, Cecil. I've got things under control." Parn said, chuckling over how worked up Cecil was getting over the matter. Finally Cecil sighed in resignation.

"Okay. I admit defeat. I will summon Sheen and tell him to meet us at the gate house at first light tomorrow morning. It is too late to get a good start now before dark." Cecil said.

"Thank you, Cecil." Parn said, good-humoredly. Cecil didn't say anything, but Deedlit could tell that his 'I'm gonna get back at you' look was in his eyes.

Morning dawned crisp and cool on the island of Lodoss as four riders rode away from the garrison. 

"It seems that this is to be my first adventure with the Knight of Lodoss and the Honorable Deedlit!" Sheen said, obviously very thrilled to be traveling in such company.

"And her not so honorable half brother, Cecil." Cecil muttered, under his breath, hoping that Deedlit would not hear.

"Don't say such things about yourself, Cecil! It is self defeating!" Deedlit said, having heard every word with her sensitive ears. The rest of the afternoon went in the usual manner for those who would travel across the island. Cecil would bicker back and forth with Sheen and occasionally with Parn, but he always spoke with respect to Deedlit. 

"_I wonder if it is because I am his elder sister?_" Deedlit wondered, as they neared a place that Raina and Garrack were known to hang around. 

"Sir Parn! Raina! Look who's here!" Garrack shouted, to the lady thief. 

"Well, well! I see that the great Knight of Lodoss and his elf have come to visit! How have you all been?" Raina asked, greeting the four travelers warmly.

"We have all been well. We came this way hoping that you would come with us on a new adventure." Parn said, grinning when Raina got her look of mischief on her face.

"Sure! Uh……………..I mean……………Yes sir!" Garrack said, eagerly. Parn laughed. This was what he'd hoped for.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's get those horses saddled and get going! I'm up for an adventure!" Raina said, as she pulled Garrack away and rushed off to get their horses saddled. Before long, the now six travelers were galloping in the direction of Flaim; hoping for an equally easy time of getting Spark, Leaf, Grievus, Aldonova, and Neese to join them.

King Kashue was walking along the battlements when he saw six riders ride up to the front gate. He smiled when he saw who they were. 

"Open the gate! It is Parn and his group!" Kashue shouted. Immediately the gate was opened and, without missing a beat, the six riders galloped in. 

"Sir Parn!" Spark shouted, happy to see his role model after almost a year.

"Spark! It's good to see you again! How goes it with you and knighthood?" Parn asked, dismounting and gripping the young knight's shoulders in greeting. 

"Not bad, Sir Parn! Not bad at all! It still sounds strange to be called 'Sir Spark', but it's so much better than being called 'Squire Spark' for the rest of my life! But why are you here?" Spark asked, as he walked with the group to the throne room.

"I wanted to see if you could come along with us on a journey. We're going to find out what happened to Cecil's father." Parn said, as they all entered the room together. 

"Me?! Come along with you on a journey?!?" Spark yelped, sounding like the Spark they all knew. Well, maybe with the exception of Cecil, of course. 

"Welcome back to Flaim, Parn, Deedlit. I see that you're about to go on another quest. You have a new face among you, I see. I can guess that you want to take Spark on this journey?" Kashue asked, getting a nod from Parn.

"Yes, your Highness. I desire the company of a fellow knight and his friends." Parn replied, quietly.

"I guess it would be all right. Spark has been itching for a chance to test his wings, I guess this is as good a time as ever." Kashue said, chuckling when Spark's jaw hit the floor and when Cecil casually picked the jaw up and closed Spark's mouth, managing to keep a straight face the whole time. 

"Thank you, your Highness." Parn said, flashing a grin at the king as Cecil and Spark exchanged challenging glares.

"Don't start you two." Raina warned, when she could see that there was some kind of battle of wills going on between knight and mage.

"It's no use, Raina, they'll be at it for the next couple of days. Now let's go find Neese, Grievus, Aldonova and Leaf." Deedlit said, as she walked off, leading Raina away from the men. 

Neese looked up as Deedlit and Raina entered the vineyard where she and Leaf had been picking grapes.

"Deedlit! And Raina too! What brings you here?!" Neese asked, as she cheerfully hugged the two women and as Leaf joined them, guiltily wiping her face clean of grape juice with her tunic sleeve.

"We came to see if you two would like to join us on a new quest!" Raina said, as she helped Leaf rid her face of a vine leaf.

"I would love to! But that depends on what Mother and Father have to say about it." Neese said, as Leaf elbowed her in the ribs.

"I think Leaf wants to go too, but she can't say anything because her mouth is full." Neese said, getting a somewhat garbled 'Huh?!' from Leaf for response. Deedlit and Raina both started laughing, while Leaf merely gave Neese the infamous anime flat-eyed look.

"What is this quest all about, anyway?" Leaf asked, after she had swallowed the grapes that were in her mouth.

"We're going to try to find out what happened to mine and Cecil's father. Our first clue is probably in the Forest of No Return." Deedlit replied. Leaf almost fell over.

"You mean Cecil the mage is a half elf?! He doesn't look like one!" Leaf exclaimed, in disbelief.

"He doesn't have to. He has enough magic to rival a full blooded elf and we both look enough alike that there is no doubt that we share the same father." Deedlit said, noticing when Leaf shyly looked away from her.

"And to think I'd always thought of him as a handsome man, even though when I first saw him I thought he was human." Leaf said, blushing while she said that. 

"Maybe you'll get to know him better through this. I think that is Parn's intention; he wants Cecil to know that he's not alone. That he's not the only half elf out there." Deedlit said, quickly shutting her mouth when Parn and the rest of the men entered the area.

"We've just gotten the 'okay' from Slayn and Leilia about your coming with us, Neese. And since Aldo is coming along as well, there won't be much to worry about." Spark said, with a smile.

"That's great to hear! I have always wanted to go on a quest that did not concern me!" Neese said, getting laughter from the group. 

"Then let's go! This is something we've all been waiting for!" Garrack said, eager to get going. As they readied themselves for their departure from Flaim, Cecil's thoughts wandered. What was he getting himself into? Where would this road take him? As they all rode out of the safety of the castle walls, Cecil wondered what he would find in the Forest of No Return, the birthplace of the High Elves; and his father.


	2. Chapter Two: The Forest of No Return

Chapter Two: The Forest of No Return

The trip to the mystical forest was a relatively short one. At Deedlit's request, they dismounted and continued into the forest on foot. At first the path was dark and foreboding, then light surrounded them, almost welcoming them into it. There was a sharp intake of breath and Deedlit turned around to see that Cecil was surrounded by a myriad of tiny fairies. 

"They're welcoming you, Cecil, since they can see that you are part elf." Deedlit said, smiling as Cecil held his hands out and watched in awe, as the fairies landed in them, making it seem as though his hands were glowing.

"Wow………" Leaf murmured, as a similar event happened to her, giggling when they tickled her ears.

"Welcome Strangers. I see that you are in the company of a High Elf. State your names, young ones." A regal voice said, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

"I am Deedlit, and these are my friends! I will allow them to introduce themselves!" Deedlit said, giving the go-ahead for those in the group to introduce themselves.

"I am Parn, Knight of Lodoss." Parn said, then stepped back as Spark stepped forward.

"And I am Spark, Knight of Flaim." Spark said, grinning with pleasure as he said that.

"Neese, Servant of Marfa." Neese stated, boldly.

"Garrack, the Blue Comet." Garrack announced, proudly. Raina rolled her eyes as she stepped forward.

"Raina, former thief, now mercenary." Raina said, as Aldonova stood tall.

"Aldonova, Mage." Aldonova stated, matter-of-factly.

"Leaf, half elf." Leaf said, as the fairies departed from her.

"Cecil, mage and also a half elf." Cecil said, nervously, as the remaining fairies disappeared into the undergrowth.

"We have heard much about you, Heroes of Lodoss. I sense that you are here for a reason. May I ask what?" the voice asked, as its owner revealed herself.

"We've come to help Cecil find out more about himself. Mother, this is my half brother, Cecil." Deedlit said, motioning to the nervous mage as he stepped forward. The other elf looked shocked to see Cecil, but that emotion was quickly hidden beneath a mask of unperterbed calm. 

"I am Haliel. Please, come this way." The elf said, as she led the way into a glen where a strange building stood and about five other elves stood, watching.

"Friends, Deedlit has returned. These are her friends; and one of them is the bastard child my husband Lien sired. No doubt you knew who he was when he first entered this glen." Haliel said, with bitterness in her voice.

"Mother, that was unnecessary! Yes, what Father did was wrong, but that doesn't mean you should take it out on Cecil! He's done nothing wrong!" Deedlit shouted, angrily.

"Silence, child! You do not speak before your elders in this fashion! Is that clear?" one elf, a regal looking male, asked sternly. 

"Yes sir." Deedlit grumbled, full of indignation about what her mother had just said.

"Don't worry about it, Deedlit. I am sure that much worse has been said about me behind enemy lines. There's no need to defend me." Cecil said, taking the verbal abuse very well. Parn stood where he was and stared in amazement at Cecil. He'd never known his friend to remain so cool-headed, especially after being put down!

"But Cecil…………..!" Deedlit said, her desire to protect him very evident in her eyes. But Cecil would not have it.

"Deedlit, I don't want you to dishonor yourself on my behalf. Just let it go." Cecil said, in a tone of voice Deedlit had never heard before.

"Who are you and what have you done with Cecil?" Parn asked, jokingly.

"Very funny, Parn." Cecil said, with a smile, but the seriousness had not left his crystalline blue eyes.

"Hey! You guys don't have the right to discriminate! I'm a half-elf too, ya know! If anything, you should be jumping all over me because I'm half and half and I show it!" Leaf said, angrily, surprising Cecil by her defensiveness. The elder High Elves looked taken aback by the statement. No one had ever dared to speak to them like that!

"She has spunk, I'll merit that." One male elf said, with a rueful smile in his voice.

"And you encourage this?!" Haliel asked, sounding angry.

"I neither encourage nor discourage it. It was merely the fact that this is the first time in centuries that we have ever been challenged by one from the outside. She has earned our favor for herself and her companions." The male elf said, as he looked at the adventurers.

"Welcome to the Forest of No Return, young ones. I am Rouwan, Deedlit's uncle, and I will answer whatever questions you might have." The elf said, as the other elders left in a huff.

"Thank you." Parn said, as he and his friends were led into the strange structure and were shown places where they could sit. 

"Now, you came here to learn of the fate of my brother, I am correct?" Rouwan asked. All in the room nodded.

"I want to find out everything there is to know about him." Cecil said, quietly.

"So you shall. But first, there is something I would like to give you, Cecil. Please stand, if you will." Rouwan said, sternly. Cecil did as he was told and stood before his uncle. What happened next amazed and startled everyone in the room. As Cecil and Rouwan stood in the center of the room, millions of fairies surrounded Cecil, their light becoming so brilliant that it even forced Deedlit to look away. When the light had faded, all were stunned by what they saw; in place of his mage's robes, Cecil now wore a stunning suit of elfin armor!

"What the…………..?! Where'd this come from?!" Cecil yelped, as he took a closer look at his new gear.

"I forged that specifically for you, against Haliel's wishes, the day you were born. I knew that one day you would come looking for answers about your true heritage and decided then and there that I would help you in your quest. You now wear a suit of armor worthy of the finest elfin warrior, but it was made just for you. The sword you carry in the sheath on your hip is made from a mineral that is only found here in the Forest of No Return. If you should ever lose sight of it, all you would have to do is think of it and it will appear in your hand. On your brow, you wear the circlet of a High Elf warrior, since that is what your father was. Cecil, your father was one of the bravest warriors of our clan, but he was very easily swayed by what the humans call 'sins'. It was wrong to sire a child out of wedlock, but his actions may yet bring new hope to this forest." Rouwan said, as Deedlit and the rest looked over Cecil's new armor.

"What do you mean, Rouwan?" Parn asked, catching the hint of sadness in the elder elf's tone.

"What I meant was that Cecil was the first male child to be born of a High Elf in almost seven hundred years. If he had been………………no, I will not dwell on that fact. What matters now is that Cecil is here and that he might well be one of the greatest heroes this forest has ever seen." Rouwan said, as he gazed at Cecil, seeing his brother in the young man's eyes.

"We'll find Lien, I swear we will." Cecil said, sounding very determined.

"I know you will. I have faith in you and your sister. Even if Haliel doesn't." Rouwan murmured, as he placed his hands on his nephew's shoulders, still looking proud, even though Cecil was of mixed blood. As they left the Forest of No Return, Cecil stopped and looked back. He could still see Rouwan and he waved, smiling bitterly as he wheeled around and galloped after his companions.

"Marfa, protect those brave souls; they have a long, hard journey ahead of them." Rouwan murmured, as the eleven riders disappeared from sight, into the horizon.


	3. Chapter Three: The Road to the Sea

Chapter Three: Road to the Sea

Cecil grunted as he and Spark sparred. Even though the armor looked heavy, it permitted great movement and was very light, making Cecil a worthy opponent for Spark. 

"I've been a knight for almost a year and Cecil only got his armor yesterday! Yet it seems like he has more skill than me!" Spark said, as he parried a blow from Cecil and scooted back to avoid getting jabbed in the unmentionable area.

"That is because I took lessons from Parn before and after the fight at Fire Dragon Mountain! I wouldn't have been entrusted with his garrison if I didn't have at least some sword skill!" Cecil replied, as he pushed Spark back and watched as Spark lost his balance and fell into a stream.

"Raina, Neese, Leaf, Garrack and Grievus, don't you dare laugh!" Spark shouted, as he picked himself up and hauled himself out of the stream bed. They all took one look at Spark and burst into laughter, while Spark went to find someplace to dry off, grumbling as he went. Parn chuckled and Deedlit shook her head. Cecil was back to being his usual self; but then again he was so much more than he was before. There was purpose in his eyes now. Deedlit could tell that Cecil was worthy of wearing elfin armor even before her uncle had said anything.

"What are you up to, Cecil?" Deedlit asked, when Cecil had resheathed his sword and was sitting down.

"Just thinking. I'm wondering why my mother hid my elf heritage from me. Was she ashamed of me? Or was there another reason for not telling me?" Cecil asked, as Deedlit sat beside him.

"She probably hid it from you because she was trying to protect you, Sir Cecil." Sheen said, as he took a seat opposite of the young half elf.

"Protect me? From what?" Cecil asked, confused. Sheen shrugged.

"From Dark elves, probably. But more than likely she kept the information from you because she didn't want you to go on a journey by yourself." Sheen suggested, then looked away as shouting got his attention.

"Parn!" a woman's voice shouted, as she rode up to where the group had stopped.

"Mellyn?! What're you doing here?!" Parn asked, recognizing the woman as being the same one he'd rescued that long ago day in Zaxon. 

"I'd heard that you had stopped with a group of people here by some passersby in Zaxon. Parn, there's something you need to see to!" the woman said, looking frantic, as she sat atop her panting horse.

"Slow down, Mellyn! Explain to me what has happened first!" Parn said, as he got the obviously frightened woman down from her horse and sat her down while Sheen attended to the horse. Mellyn took a deep breath and started her story.

"You see, a few days ago we were tending to our crops as usual when I heard a voice coming from within a thicket. I went to see what it was and was horrified by what I saw. There was what appeared to be a child lying on the forest floor, covered in drying blood. Without even thinking I picked him up and rushed him to the village healer. The healer then told me that what I had taken to be a child was actually a grassrunner, a type of elf. The healer said that the grassrunner was very weak, but should survive. Then others started arriving. I am telling you, Parn, our village became a field hospital overnight! There were so many wounded men, women and children coming into the village that I feared that they would overwhelm us. The worst case of all was this one man wearing black armor. He was unconscious when he was carried in, but when he awoke, he called a woman's name in a tone that carried so much sorrow." Mellyn said, as the news sank in about what had gone on.

"Mellyn, did this dark-armored man have an elf with him?" Parn asked, his expression turning serious. Mellyn shook her head.

"He didn't, but he kept on calling for a woman named 'Pirotess'." Mellyn said, as Parn gave Deedlit a look that meant he wanted to go and investigate.

"We'll come with you, Mellyn. I've got a bad feeling about this." Parn said, as he and his group mounted their horses and followed Mellyn back to Zaxon. When they got to Parn's home village, they could see what Mellyn had meant by the village becoming a huge field hospital. The wounded were lying everywhere, in the streets, fields, in houses, and in tents. Parn turned to Mellyn.

"Where is the man with the armor?" Parn asked. 

"He's in the healer's house. Come this way." Mellyn said, as she led the way, on foot. The group followed suit and followed the woman to the healer's dwelling. The healer looked their way when he heard footsteps and was amazed to see Parn walk up.

"Parn, son of Tessius! I never thought you would come back!" the healer said, cheerfully, but the dullness in his eyes hinted that his cheerful demeanor was a façade. 

"I am back now. I'd heard tell that a man in black armor arrived here a short time ago. Where is he?" Parn asked, almost afraid of who he thought this was.

"He's in the back. He's the whole reason I sent Mellyn to go and fetch you. I believe he may be the Black Knight of Marmo, Ashram." The healer said, as he led Parn into the back, with Deedlit, Spark, and Cecil trailing closely behind him. When they had arrived in the back room, they could see that the man in question had been severely wounded; bandages covered most, if not all, of his chest and abdomen and they were wrapped around his head where a crimson patch stained through.

"It's Ashram all right………………" Parn trailed off.

"But he looks terrible! What could have done this to him? Not even you could get that close to hurting him, Parn!" Deedlit murmured, as she made room for Cecil and Spark to get in and see. 

"And I feel terrible too, High Elf." Ashram said, his voice soft and pain-filled.

"What happened, Ashram? Why did you return to Lodoss?" Parn asked, cautiously approaching the wounded man's bedside and looking into the other man's coal black eyes.

"They came from nowhere……………..it was like fighting against shadows. If we'd thought the Dark Elves on Marmo were bad, these elves were even worse. They attacked and sacked the ships so quickly, that we ran the risk of sinking before we could even hope to reach any land on the other side of the sea…………….Parn, for my people's sake I had to turn back………………I didn't want to………..but I had to. They were still chasing us…………..sometime along the way, Pirotess was taken from me………….I wasn't strong enough to protect her when she needed me the most………………" Ashram said, closing his eyes and grimacing, not just from the physical pain, but also from the emotional. He uttered a gasp when he felt a hand on his forehead and looked up to see Neese. His expression softened.

"So you did survive Wagnard's evil." Ashram said, getting a look of surprise, then gentleness from the girl.

"I am surprised you remembered me. Now lie still, I'll heal you." Neese said, gently.

"Hmm." Ashram sighed, before closing his eyes and allowing the girl to heal his broken body.

"What does this all mean, Parn?" Cecil asked, as he turned to the Knight of Lodoss.

"I don't know. This is even more confusing than anything Karla could come up with." Parn replied, as he watched Neese begin healing the Black Knight's wounds.

Hours later, they regrouped in front of the Mayor's house, this time with Ashram and Maar with them.

"So you were on a quest to figure out who you really were, huh? Where are you going to go after this?" Ashram asked, who still looked a little weak.

"Why is that of any concern to you? I just want to find out what happened to my father! This doesn't concern you!" Cecil said, angrily. Ashram mildly shrugged him off.

"What concerns me now is if Pirotess is still alive. I know that you people don't trust me, but I intend to travel with you until I find her." Ashram said, coolly. 

"Sir Parn, I think he's telling the truth. What does he have to gain or lose by coming with us? It may well be that our travels will land us in the same place sooner or later." Sheen said, calmly. Parn nodded, his expression dark and brooding.

"It sounds like we've got ourselves an elf-quest! [Could not resist the pun!]" Maar said, enthusiastically, earning himself a dirty look from Cecil and Ashram while he was at it. 

"If looks could kill!" Leaf said, laughing as Maar took refuge behind a rain barrel. Even though Parn, Deedlit, Cecil and Spark didn't trust Ashram, it broke the ice for the rest of the adventurers. Soon there was an animated discussion in the air about weapons and what sword was the best kind. Eventually even Spark was drawn into the conversation and he exchanged remarks about techniques. Even though Ashram did not contribute much to the conversation, he would quietly point out what he thought about different sword drills. 

"Ashram, what ever became of Priest Hobb?" Parn asked. Ashram's expression fell.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since my ships were attacked." Ashram said, grimly. 

"I see." Parn said, now knowing that another life may hang in the balance.

"I wonder………." Cecil said, his face taking on a thoughtful expression.

"You wonder what, Cecil?" Deedlit asked, as all attention turned to him.

"I wonder if our father, Hobb and the Dark Elf Pirotess are in the same place?" Cecil said. 

"What do you mean, Sir Cecil?" Sheen asked.

"I think that the answers to my questions may lie with those elves that attacked the Marmo escape ships. It's just a hunch, but suppose they are holding those three as prisoners?" Cecil said, explaining what he thought to the group.

"I think he may be on to something." Ashram said, with something akin to hope emerging in his eyes. 

"But where are those elves hiding? They could be anywhere on the island!" Maar said.

"Then we'll have to find out where. More than likely they are sticking to the coastline, since they attacked Ashram's ships." Parn said, as he stood before them.

"But they could have moved inland by now." Deedlit said.

"We must take that chance, even if it seems slim. The lives of those three are hanging in the balance." Cecil said, getting an agreement from the group.

"Then it is settled, we start on the road to the sea at dawn." Parn said, as the sun sank beneath the western horizon.


	4. Chapter Four: Signs of Evil yet to Come

Chapter Four: Signs of Evil Yet to Come

As was promised, they all started traveling to the sea the next morning. Ashram rode along the left-hand side of the group, never once saying a word as they rode. Cecil had somehow ended up riding next to Leaf, and somehow found himself enjoying it. As the day wore on, he started comparing Leaf to other women he'd met. 

"_She is not as elegant as Deedlit, but she does have that grace about her. She's outspoken, yet not as obnoxious as Shiris. I think I can get to liking her._" Cecil thought, with a wry grin, but blushing when Leaf looked his way.

"_He was staring at me! But he blushed when I looked at him_…………….._Does he like me?! If Garrack even knew what I am thinking, he would laugh me right off the island!_" Leaf thought, but still sneaking a glance at Cecil anyway, who by now had gotten over blushing. Deedlit shared a conspiratory smile with Parn, Raina, and Neese; their plan was working.

"When are we gonna stop?" Maar whined, for the fiftieth time that afternoon.

"We stop when Parn decides to stop! So please, for the love of Marfa, stop whining!" Cecil shouted, very much annoyed with the grassrunner. Parn and Ashram rolled their eyes as a full-blown argument erupted between half-elf and grassrunner.

"And you put up with this on the way to Fire Dragon Mountain?" Ashram asked, motioning to the two arguers with his thumb.

"Yes. And in some ways it was worse then than it is now." Parn said, shaking his head as Garrack tried to break up the fight.

"Cut it out back there!" Garrack shouted.

"But he started it!" Maar whined.

"I did not!" Cecil retaliated.

"Did too!" Maar argued.

"I don't care who started it! If you don't stop, I'll have Parn pull this group over!" Garrack shouted, sounding for all the world like a stressed out dad. 

"You might want to rephrase that, Free Knight. It's worse now than it was then." Ashram muttered, stifling the urge to put his hands over his ears.

"That might be the only thing you two will ever agree on." Deedlit muttered, as a brief silence settled over the group, before another argument could break out. As afternoon faded into evening, Ashram started getting a little edgy.

"Wait a minute. Stop." Ashram said, as he glanced around him.

"What is it, Ashram?" Parn asked, for some reason or another trusting the elder knight's instincts and getting his horse to stop.

"I thought I heard something; sounded like chain mail and steel." Ashram said, as he strained his ears for the faint sound.

"Do you hear anything, Deed?" Parn asked, turning to Deedlit.

"I think Ashram may be right……………there's someone in the woods that doesn't like trespassers." Deedlit replied, suddenly understanding why Ashram was suddenly so concerned. Then, without warning, about fifteen dark clad warriors burst out of the undergrowth, screaming like banshees.

"I summon the spirit of the earth! Mighty beast of the ground below! I beg of you answer my call and swallow these evil beings whole! Now!" Cecil's voice shouted. Deedlit looked over at Cecil in complete astonishment; she'd never thought she would actually hear those words from the mage, but she just had! With a loud crack, the earth split beneath the evil, screaming warriors, sending most of them to their deaths. With murderous vengeance in its eyes, one warrior leaped at Cecil, determined to get revenge for its fallen comrades.

"Close your eyes, everyone!" Deedlit yelped, when she realized what Cecil was going to do next.

"I summon Will-o-Wisp, Spirit of Light! Banish this evil from my Sight!" Cecil shouted, summoning the light creatures and sending them directly at the evil being in front of him. With relative ease, the group took out the rest of the vengeful warriors. Even Neese did her share with blasting one warrior with holy magic.

"What were those things, Parn? They didn't even seem like the Dark Elves I ran into when I was still a squire." Spark asked, but it was Ashram who answered his question.

"Those were some of the kind of elves that had attacked my ships." Ashram said, as he nudged one warrior's corpse with the tip of the SoulCrusher.

"You mean these vile creatures were what wounded you so badly? But they were hardly a match for me!" Garrack boasted.

"That is because these warriors were novices; squires if you will. Of course these were easy to dispatch, but the ones that attacked the ships were fully trained in the shamanist magic Dark Elves are so adept at using. They were probably a scouting party or an ambush set to catch unwary travelers. Their elders are far worse." Ashram said, looking at the corpse with hatred in his eyes. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and whirled around to find Spark, who had a sympathetic look in his azure eyes.

"Don't worry, we'll help you rescue Pirotess, even though she is a Dark Elf." Spark said, with confidence in his voice. Parn opened his mouth to say something to the young knight, but Deedlit stopped him.

"Someone once told me that there is a code of honor among men. Spark is now showing us that he has become a man, and understands this code that you hold to so dearly. He has taken it upon himself to befriend someone who once called himself your enemy." Deedlit said, taking the astonished look that came from Ashram's eyes to mean that he was not expecting Spark to speak up and promise help.

"Thank you, Knight of Flaim." Ashram murmured, recovering from being so surprised by the young knight. Garrack sat back in his saddle with his mouth agape. What was Spark thinking?! 

Meanwhile, Cecil had separated himself from the others so he could get his breath and gather his thoughts. He had just used elfin magic in battle! It had overridden any of the magic he'd learned from Slayn and flowed easily through him, feeling as natural to him as the blood that flowed in his veins.

"So that's where you have hidden yourself!" Leaf said, as she joined him.

"Are the others worried about me?" Cecil asked.

"They are too busy listening to Spark make promises to the Black Knight about finding that Dark Elf. Puh! What could be so special about that black-souled she-snake anyway?" Leaf asked, with disgust and contempt in her voice.

"Apparently the Black Knight loves that black-souled she snake. Haven't you ever heard that love is blind, Leaf?" Cecil asked, sounding much older than he really was. Leaf made a face.

"He must be blind, to love a Dark Elf!" Leaf stated, still sounding disgusted. Cecil remained quiet at that.

"Leaf, have you ever been in love?" Cecil asked, softly, getting a surprised 'Huh?!' from Leaf. Then Leaf's expression sobered.

"Once. I fell in love with a visiting High Elf when he passed through the town I lived in, before I became a warrior. He loved me for a while, too, but when he found out that I was only half elf, he left the town. He didn't even say goodbye." Leaf said, on the verge of tears. Cecil's heart melted at the sight of Leaf fighting tears. Without even thinking, he pulled her onto his own horse and just held her in his arms. Leaf was so surprised that she didn't even utter a sound when Cecil wrapped his arms around her, but then buried her face in his chest, allowing herself to cry out the anger and frustration she'd held in from that past, thwarted romance. Then Leaf realized something; how safe she felt when she was around Cecil. He was gentle and kind (when he was calm, anyway), and also fiercely loyal to his friends. And he was like she was; a half elf.

"I'm sorry, Cecil, I'm crying like a girl." Leaf said, as she brought her face away from Cecil's chest and looked into his eyes. 

"You have every right to cry. Leaf, you may be a warrior, but that doesn't make you heartless. You still have to deal with emotions like anyone else; that is what makes all people on Lodoss the same. Besides, I should be apologizing to you; I pulled you onto this horse without getting permission." Cecil said, with a smile. Leaf managed a laugh, but it was a weak one.

"Yeah, I guess you did. Let's get back to the others before they start getting worried." Leaf said, as she, reluctantly, allowed Cecil to put her back on her horse.

"Let's go." Cecil murmured, as they rode back to where the rest of the group waited.

"Whew! And to think we were about to send a search party after you two!" Deedlit joked, as others got speculative looks on their faces.

"I don't think this is the time to be joking around………….Sis!" Cecil said, with a bit of snap and sarcasm in his voice. Deedlit almost blew her top then and there.

"Cecil, you can call me Deedlit, and you can call me Deed………….but do not, in any event, ever call me 'Sis'!!!" Deedlit shouted. 

"Here we go again………………." Ashram muttered, as the rest of the group sighed in exasperation.


	5. Chapter Five: Blood and Salt Water

Chapter Five: Blood and Salt Water

"Finally! We have reached the sea!" Raina said, as she allowed the crisp sea breeze to blow past her. After several days of tedious travel, they had finally reached their destination.

"That breeze feels good, doesn't it, Neese?" Leaf asked, as Neese turned her face into the breeze.

"Yes it does! We shall have to come here again when things are a little more peaceful." Neese said, pleasantly. Parn and Deedlit listened to the conversation with some hope in their hearts; they hoped that someday they would return to the sea with more pleasant things in mind. Ashram was riding off in one direction, scouting ahead in case there was danger waiting amongst some of the huge boulders that littered the sandy beach. He turned when he heard hoofbeats behind him, and was relieved when he saw that it was only Spark coming after him.

"Why did you decide to come after me?" Ashram asked, with something akin to curiosity in his voice.

"Sir Parn told me to come after you. We're going to go ahead and pitch camp, since it will be dark soon. I think it'll be safer if we all stick together." Spark said, as he watched the Black Knight take a close look around. Then something impacted into Spark's horse's neck, killing it almost instantly.

"Archers!" Ashram shouted, grabbing Spark by the arm, hauling him onto his horse with him and galloping off, hell for leather. Spark hung on for dear life, having been completely surprised by enemy and ally alike. He heard Ashram grunt in pain as an arrow found its mark, the wickedly barbed iron arrowhead and part of the shaft emerging from Ashram's right shoulder just beneath the collarbone, nearly hitting Spark in the eye.

"Pull……..it…….out………Spark!" Ashram hissed, as blood bubbled from the wound. Spark nodded, and gingerly grasped the shaft, pulling it out as gently as he could. With flying hooves, Ashram's horse managed to get them back to where Parn and the group were setting up camp.

"Spark! Ashram!" Parn shouted, when he saw that Spark was with Ashram.

"Parn, there are archers on the cliffs farther on down the beach…………….They're some of the same elves that sacked the ships……………… they might be heading this way…" Ashram said, before falling from his horse, his face a mask of pain.

"Sir Ashram!" Spark yelped, as he leaped down from the horse and kneeled down beside the grievously wounded knight. 

"Let me see to his wounds." Grievus said, speaking up for the first time since the journey had begun. As Grievus tended to Ashram's shoulder, Spark spoke to Parn about what he and Ashram had seen.

"Sir Parn, there were archers up there. One of their arrows killed my horse and another nearly killed Sir Ashram as well. I have an arrow of theirs to prove my point…………." Spark trailed off when he showed the blood-covered arrow to the Knight of Lodoss.

"I don't doubt what you saw, Spark, but it is too incredible to believe that Ashram would risk his life to save yours." Parn said, as he watched the healing with his cool blue eyes.

Cecil sighed. He'd been placed on first watch, while the rest of the group slept. He heard a rustling and saw Leaf move from her sleeping spot to join him beside the fire.

"Couldn't sleep?" Cecil asked, as he looked at Leaf's face.

"It's hard to sleep when your enemy is just beyond the cliffs. How you be sure whether or not your father is still alive after all this time?" Leaf asked, as she looked at the other half elf. Cecil shrugged.

"I just have a feeling that he is. I can't give up on the only parent I have left when there is so much to learn. All I know is negative things about him, I don't know anything positive about him other than the fact that he was a warrior." Cecil said, with some desperation in his voice. Leaf nodded her understanding and shivered despite herself. Cecil again surprised her as he removed his cape and draped it over her shoulders, providing a warm cover against the cold.

"Better?" Cecil asked.

"Yes. Thank you." Leaf said, with a smile. Cecil smiled back, glad that he could provide some comfort for another of his kind. 

"Hey! Look what the dragons dragged in! Cecil!" a familiar female voice said, ruining the moment.

"Oh no………….It's Shiris!" Cecil groaned, waking all those within the makeshift camp.

"That's Queen Shiris to you, greenhorn!" Shiris goaded, getting a reaction from Cecil.

"I beg your pardon?!" Cecil shouted, as Parn and the rest came from their shelters.

"Beggin' won't help ya, greenhorn!" Shiris crowed, with a laugh.

"Shiris! What brings you here?!" Parn asked, completely surprised that the Dragon Rider queen was there.

"Been getting reports of strange elf activity on the seacoast. I decided to come and investigate. I didn't know you all were here until a few minutes ago, when my scouts returned from their foray. Why are you all here?" Shiris asked, as a few of her subordinates appeared by her side.

"It's a long story, Shiris. One that you will not believe." Deedlit said, as she faced the queen. Then Shiris noticed Cecil's new attire and the absence of his sorcerer's staff.

"What's with the getup, greenhorn? That armor looks almost elfin!" Shiris stated, as she looked him over.

"That's part of the long story, Shiris. Cecil is Deed's half brother." Parn said, watching with some amusement as Shiris' jaw dropped.

"You mean that all this time gre…………er………..Cecil, was a half elf?! Why didn't he tell us?! We could have used some more elfin magic at Fire Dragon Mountain!" Shiris exclaimed, in disbelief.

"The thing is, Cecil didn't even know about his elf blood until a little while ago when Deed told him the truth." Parn replied, as Cecil stood tall, his eyes glinting in the firelight cast from some torches that Shiris' men were carrying.

"But what does this have to do with your being here?" Shiris asked, still confused.

"We're here to find Cecil and Deedlit's father and rescue Pirotess and Hobb." Ashram muttered, from the back of the group.

"You! What're you doing back here?! I thought you'd left Lodoss for good!" Shiris shouted, when she'd realized who had spoken. Ashram stepped to the front of the group, ignoring the deadly glares he got from Shiris' men.

"I would still be heading away from Lodoss if it wasn't for those strange new elves." Ashram said, offering at least some self-defense.

"What are you talkin' about?!" Shiris asked, her hatred for the Black Knight showing plainly in her eyes. Then she saw that Ashram's right shoulderguard was missing and looked questioningly at the unprotected shoulder.

"Sir Ashram and I were attacked by some of those elves this afternoon, your Highness." Spark said, politely.

"How did they manage to sneak up on the Black Knight of Marmo?!" Shiris asked.

"They had archers lined up all along the cliff top. Their aim was deadly accurate and their arrows are made of iron, with tearing barbs in the arrowheads." Ashram explained, calmly.

"Their bows must have been well made too, for an arrow passed right through Sir Ashram's shoulder. It passed right through his steel shoulderguard." Sheen said, having been named the best archer in Kanon and was knowledgeable of such things. 

"Damn…………..it sounds like these elves intend to make war on anyone who crosses their path!" Shiris stated, as she got grim looks from all of those in Parn's party.

"Shiris, will you help us? This might be our only chance to take these elves on and defeat them at their own game!" Deedlit said, glancing at the somewhat mixed expression on Cecil's face and smiling slightly.

"Hey, I'm not about to leave you guys to face an entire army of unknown elves by yourselves! My army and I will help in any way we can!" Shiris said, with a smile. 

"Thank you, Shiris, we really appreciate it." Parn said, as men from Shiris' camp started setting up their lean-tos around Parn's camp. 

"Anything for a friend, Parn." Shiris said, then cast a distrustful look in Ashram's direction, who, by then, had moved back to his place by the fire and was staring into it.

"What about him, Parn? How could you trust that scum anywhere around your camp?" Shiris asked, as the Black Knight stared listlessly into the flames.

"I don't, Shiris, that's just it. Spark is the one who promised to help him rescue Pirotess, the Dark Elf. Strangely enough, he's been the most helpful one of the bunch on this journey. I think he's more afraid for that Dark Elf's safety than anything else is. And I think Spark sympathizes with him in the fact that, not long ago, Neese was in the clutches of Wagnard. Strange thing is, Shiris, is that Ashram saved Spark's life this afternoon. That puzzles me more than anything Karla ever threw at us." Parn said, as he watched Spark and Neese join Ashram at the fire.

The following morning, almost as soon as the campfires were out, the first wave of attacks began. Cries of men and elves mingled as they struggled in the sand along the shore, coating the sand in blood. All the members of Parn's group had split into teams of three; Ashram with Spark and Parn, Leaf with Deedlit and Cecil, Garrack with Grievus and Raina, and Neese with Sheen and one of Shiris' men. The fighting lasted until well after noon, when the few remaining evil elves retreated, leaving their dead compatriots on the field. Cecil panted as he limped back to where Deedlit and Leaf now sat, both of them exhausted from fighting.

"Cecil, you're hurt!" Leaf said, with a note of concern in her voice, as she looked at the bloodstains on Cecil's clothing.

"It's not serious. Are you two all right?" Cecil asked, from between gritted teeth.

"We're tired, but otherwise all right. Those elves sure were bloodthirsty!" Deedlit replied, as she watched Spark tear some strips from his cape and bind the sword wounds to Ashram's arms and legs with them. 

"I wonder how Neese will handle all of the wounded. Do you think she has enough strength to tend to half of them while Grievus tends to the other half?" Cecil asked, as he looked at the young priestess. 

"I'm sure she does. Now, to get the bleeding stopped in your own wounds, Cecil." Raina said, as she sat the half elf down and started checking his chest and ribs for breaks and attending to the numerous cuts and abrasions on his arms and legs. 

"Ah, so I see that the half elves survived the first wave! I am impressed!" a voice said, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

"Who are you?! Are you the one attacking us?!" Spark demanded, before either Cecil or Leaf could say anything. The evil voice snickered.

"Yes. I am the one. I am known as Sahren, the Demon Elf. I have been watching you, Cecil, since the day you were born and have monitored your progress by my spies. For a halfling, you have impressive power. I look forward to facing you on the field of battle." The voice sneered.

"You bastard! What have you done with Pirotess?!" Ashram shouted, furiously, ignoring the pain of his own wounds and standing up to his full height.

"She's still alive, as his this pathetic human priest and High Elf. Come and get them, if you dare. The opening to the underworld is at the opposite end of the beach. Come find them!" Sahren sneered, before his voice faded away.

"Cecil?" Deedlit asked. Cecil was also standing, his eyes filled with baleful fire.

"I'm going. Neese, can you do me a favor and get both Ashram and myself fully healed before we go into the cave?" Cecil asked.

"I can, but are you sure you want to go in there alone?" Neese asked, as worried glances were directed at Cecil. 

"We must go in there. Parn, if we're not out of there before three hours are up, come after us." Cecil said, taking command of the situation. Parn nodded.

"Be careful in there, Cecil." Parn said, as he watched Neese heal the two warriors' wounds and as they turned their attention to the rocky outcrops that marked the entrance to the 'underworld'.

"You two are not going in there without me!" Leaf said, as she joined the two men and gave Cecil a look that could have burnt water.

"Fine then. Let's get in there and find out what that 'demon elf' has in store for us." Ashram said, as he led the way. As they watched, the rest of the group watched as the three figures disappeared into the cave.

"Mairi, give those three brave souls the courage they will need to find their way out." Sheen and Grievus murmured.

"Marfa, please protect them from harm." Neese whispered, as Spark hugged her from behind and watched the now empty beach. 


	6. Chapter Six: Descent into Darkness

Chapter Six: Descent into Darkness

Leaf shuddered as they entered the darkness of the cave. Even though Ashram wasn't magically aware, he could tell that the place reeked of evil; more so than the Temple of Kardis ever had.

"This place is practically crawling with evil magic! This place makes Marmo look like a heavenly paradise!" Leaf muttered.

"I will have to agree with you on that, since the SoulCrusher's reacting to this place." Ashram said, as he grabbed a torch and held the end that was meant for burning in Cecil's face.

"What do you want?" Cecil asked, sounding somewhat annoyed.

"I've seen you use fire spells before, so you can light this torch." Ashram said, handing the mage the unlit torch.

"What do I look like? A living fire making kit?" Cecil grumbled, as he held a hand over the torch and started a fire on top of it. Ashram merely raised an eyebrow and turned to grab another torch to light. 

"Don't start, you two. Save your strength for fighting that demon elf." Leaf said, before an argument could break out. Reluctantly the two men agreed with Leaf. Arguing would get them nowhere in this dark place. 

"You know, this place strikes me as being similar to the place where the first Six Heroes became legendary." Leaf said, as they walked through the cavernous underground labyrinth. 

"I've never heard the ballad all the way through; only bits and pieces. Even then it was rare to hear anything of it. Would you mind reciting it?" Ashram asked.

"Sure, but it's long." Leaf warned.

"That doesn't matter, so long as it wards off the silence this cavern has." Cecil said, glancing around as he said that. Leaf nodded, drew in a breath, and began to sing.

"_One hundred distinguished heroes challenged the Dark Labyrinth of Death. Many who fought against the fathomless darkness still remain below, as stone cold corpses. However.. At last a Ray of Light reached the deepest depths of the Labyrinth. Seven of the Heroes defeated the god of evil. Six of them survived. The world was saved. One was the Knight, King Fahn of Valis, clad in white armor and wielding a sacred sword. One was the Warrior, Beld, the Dark Emperor. He lost his soul to the god of evil in battle. One was the Dwarf, King Flaive, the last king of the lost Kingdom of Stone. One was the Sage, Wort, who possessed infinite knowledge. One was the Marfa Cleric, Neese, who was devoted to complying with the laws of nature. And the last was the silent sorcerer, warrior and messenger of light who fled without giving his name. It was he who restored Light to the Darkness._" Leaf sang, with the last words echoing softly in the darkened cavern.

"That was beautiful, Leaf." Cecil said,with appreciation in his voice. Even though Ashram didn't say anything, both Leaf and Cecil knew that he had enjoyed the distraction from the hollow sounds their feet made on the cold stone floor. 

"Thank you, Cecil." Leaf replied, taking comfort from being near Cecil. Several hours passed as they walked ever deeper into the darkness. Finally Ashram paused, his dark eyes scanning the next cave beyond them.

"What do you see, Sir Ashram?" Leaf asked, as she looked in the direction he was looking.

"This cave was once a dragon's nest. Take a look at the floor." Ashram replied, motioning to the floor with his torch. There, on the stone floor, were mounds upon mounds of old, dry bones, most of them were human. 

"Those poor souls." Cecil murmured, sympathetically, as he looked upon the sight. 

"We'll tell your Marfa cleric of this later, after we have done what we came here for." Ashram said, grimly, as he led them away from the sad sight. 

"Right." Cecil said, and they continued moving. 

Sahren smirked as he watched the three warriors move ever deeper into his domain. Behind him, his three captives glared venomously at his back. 

"Well, now, it seems that there are people coming to rescue you. One human and two halfling elves. I wonder how easy it will be to kill them?" Sahren sneered, as he turned and looked at his captives. Pirotess narrowed her eyes as he walked over to her and traced her delicate jaw with a clawed finger.

"I hope Ashram kills you, you sorry ass." Pirotess snarled, receiving a vicious slap from her captor for her troubles. The High Elf next to her growled something under his breath, not liking the way the demon elf was treating Pirotess. 

"Why are you getting so worked up, Lien? She is a Dark Elf!" Sahren said, with a wicked grin.

"Even though she is what she is, no woman deserves that kind of treatment!" Lien growled, angrily. Pirotess stared at him in shock.

"You amuse me, Lien! Even though your kind hates the Dark Elves, you still show compassion when she is being mistreated! How noble of you, Lien!" Sahren cackled, before slashing Lien's chest with his claws. Lien didn't even utter a whimper, he just stood where he was, his cold blue eyes flashing with fury. Sahren smirked again and turned back to watching the three warriors make their way to his lair. 

"I think something's following us." Leaf said, as they walked into another set of caverns. They had been walking for almost four hours, and they still had not found the place where the demon elf waited. 

"Maybe it is Parn and the others." Cecil suggested, hoping that was who it was.

"I doubt it. The steps are too quiet to be those of men in armor. There's something else here." Ashram said, as he unsheathed the SoulCrusher and glanced warily at his surroundings. Then there came an eerie howling from all around.

"Goblins!" Leaf yelped, as she too unsheathed her sword.

"Oh hell……….." Cecil muttered, as he, Leaf, and Ashram got back to back, prepared for any attack that came. 

"Call upon the light spirit! That might give us a little more time!" Ashram said, as the howling got louder. Cecil and Leaf nodded.

"We call upon the Will-O-Wisp, spirit of light!" Cecil and Leaf shouted, as they summoned the spirit and provided some light. Then the attack came. Goblins of every shape and size launched themselves at the three warriors, with swords glistening and eyes glowing. Ashram bit back a cry of pain as one goblin buried a dagger into his thigh, and killed the goblin with one swift stroke of his sword. Cecil grimaced as goblins slashed at his arms and legs, opening new wounds and reopening old ones. 

"Cecil! Ashram! There's a tunnel here that leads up! I think we might find our enemy up there!" Leaf shouted, to the struggling men. 

"Ashram! Come on!" Cecil shouted, as he sheathed his sword and helped Ashram limp away from the heaving mass of dark troops.

"We'd better hurry, since we don't know how long those goblins will remain distracted." Ashram murmured, as he leaned on a wall and resheathed his sword. 

"What about your leg, Ashram?" Leaf asked, as she eyed the hilt of the weapon, since the entire blade was in the leg. Without a word, Ashram gingerly grasped the blood-covered hilt and pulled, wincing when it came out. To his surprise the two half elves bound his wound with pieces of their traveling cloaks. Then a hand landed on Cecil's shoulder and Cecil whirled around, prepared to fight. To his astonishment he found Spark, Neese, Sheen, Parn and Deedlit! 

"So you followed us after all." Ashram said, giving the group a small smile, albeit reluctantly.

"We were about three caves behind you the entire time! Neese shielded our presences from you so you wouldn't know. I'm glad we did now!" Spark said, as he got a closer look at Ashram's wounded leg.

"There's no time to tend it now, our enemy's stronghold is just up these steps!" Ashram said, as Cecil started heading up the rough-hewn stone steps. With their hearts pounding, the eight warriors (if you could even include Neese as one of them) climbed up, ever aware that things could change in an instant.

"Ashram, I have a question. Why did you risk your life to save Spark's life?" Parn asked, when Ashram had paused to catch his breath. Ashram looked at him, briefly, then looked away, an unreadable look in his eyes.

"He reminds me of the way I was before I became an experienced knight. He has an innocence and purity in his eyes that I lost when my parents were murdered right in front of me." Ashram said, then turned to Parn.

"You had that same look in your eyes before the war shaped you into what you are now. I guess that is why I could never bring myself to kill you." Ashram admitted, quietly. Parn was stunned. He could tell by the tone Ashram was using that he was telling the truth; but what a truth it was!

"What about Beld? What was your relationship to him and why did you care so much when he died?" Deedlit asked, impertinently. Ashram stiffened from the verbal blow.

"I guess the relationship was something akin to father and son, but I idolized him. Call it hero worship, if you will." Ashram replied, with a little more emotion in his voice than before, but it was hidden well enough by his tone of voice.

"Huh………some hero…….." Deedlit muttered, before getting a rebuke from Cecil.

"Deedlit, that's enough! We've all gone through a lot in the past eleven years, don't start another conflict with someone who willingly put his life on the line for one of our own! He may be the Black Knight, but that doesn't give you the right to put salt in the wounds!" Cecil said, getting a shocked look from his half sister and from Ashram. Then they all heard something quite unexpected from the Black Knight.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Ashram murmured, in a voice so low, that even Deedlit had to strain her ears to hear it.

"Well, are we gonna take this Sahren guy or not? Let's get up there and show him what we Lodossians and their allies can do!" Leaf shouted, enthusiastically. 

"Right. Let's do this………as allies." Parn said, as he shouldered Ashram's weight and they continued up the stairway together.

"Allies…………..who would have thought that this would happen?" Ashram muttered, surprised by Parn's move, but accepting it nonetheless.

"_A new legend has just been born. With a little luck, the people of both Lodoss and Marmo will be singing of this adventure for centuries to come!_" Cecil thought, as they reached the top of the stairway, into the flickering light of numerous candles, and into destiny itself.


	7. Chapter Seven: The Face of Darkness and ...

Chapter Seven: The Face of Darkness and the Light of Hope

"Welcome to my domain, Heroes of Lodoss!" Sahren's voice sneered, sending chills up Cecil's spine. Ashram snarled, taking a step away from Parn and taking up a battle stance. He knew better than to mess with creatures that had dark magic. Spark, Deedlit, Leaf, and Parn followed suit, while Neese and Sheen prepared for battle in their own ways. Cecil took a step forward, his eyes turning icy and cold with anger.

"What have you done with the captives? Where are they?" Cecil asked, his tone angry, as he held his sword at ready. The evil elf smiled wickedly at him, revealing his sharp fanged teeth. He was truly a frightening sight to behold; he had pale, almost white skin and long, hip length black hair. He wore black robes with gold trim on them and a white gold circlet on his brow. His eyes were as red as blood and glowed with evil light. This creature was the epitome of evil!

"Look over there, young fool." Sahren said, his voice chillingly soft. Cecil looked and gasped at what he saw; there, manacled side by side, were Hobb, Lien, and Pirotess!

"You bastard!" Ashram roared, launching himself at Sahren, with fury in his eyes. Sahren merely smiled and made a commanding gesture, sending Ashram flying into a wall. There was a sickening crack as the man's body hit the wall and fell to the floor.

"Ashram!!" Pirotess screamed, in horror.

"Sir Ashram!" Spark yelped, as he went to the side of the fallen knight, who was then making a brave effort to get back up.

"Don't worry about me! Back Parn up!" Ashram gasped, managing to get to his knees before telling Spark to help the other knight. Parn was touched by the Black Knight's concern and turned his attention back to the battle. Little did the heroes realize that there was another person in the chamber, other than the evil elf. 

"_This dump had nothing worthwhile to steal! I wish I hadn't let Karla take over! I'd probably still be with Parn and the rest! Wait a minute! What's that?!_" a familiar, scrawny looking man wondered, as the sounds of battle came to his ears. As he got closer to the fighting, the man saw what appeared to be a group of eight people. Some of the fighters were very familiar to him.

"Parn! And Deedlit too! And is that…………….the Black Knight of Marmo?! What's he doing here?! No matter, I see a good distraction to cause some trouble for the bad side! Good thing I learned how to pick locks before I left Kanon!" the man muttered, with a grin, as he dug his trusty lock pick out and inched his way over to the three people who were manacled to the wall.

Parn grimaced as a fire spell whizzed past him. If it hadn't been for Cecil summoning the water spirits (where he had gotten the spell bag for it, Parn could only guess), he would have been fried. Sheen wasn't as lucky; he got burned on his arms, chest, and stomach, but he continued using Mairi's power for encouragement for the others. Ashram was on his feet again, but looked almost like he wanted to collapse. Cecil furiously fought hand to hand against Sahren, almost forgetting himself in his rage.

"Cecil! If you get any angrier, you'll give Hyuri room to move into your heart and make you into what Orson was! Calm down before you become a berserker!" Deedlit shouted, frantically, when she saw how angry Cecil had become. Cecil stopped dead in his tracks. He remembered very clearly what had happened to Orson. With a shaky sigh, Cecil calmed down, much to the evil elf's displeasure.

"And to think your hatred almost made you as strong as me! Think, Cecil, think of the power you are throwing away by not giving in to your hatred!" Sahren sneered, as Cecil looked at him with deadly calm in his blue eyes.

"I will never become a berserker. Hyuri killed a good friend of mine eleven years ago, and I don't intend to follow his unfortunate path. I will destroy you, in the fashion best suited for High Elves……….by light." Cecil said, his voice calm. Deedlit sighed a sigh of relief. She had almost lost her brother to the same evil spirit that Shiris had lost Orson to, but he had calmed down just in time. Sahren snarled and made the same gesture that he'd used to throw Ashram into the stone wall. Cecil cried out as he flew back away from Sahren, and he braced himself for a bone-shattering impact. Instead he felt someone grab him from midair and take the brunt of the blow. 

"Sir Ashram!" Spark shouted, when he saw the Black Knight make the self-sacrificial move to save Cecil's life and rushed to the knight's side when he slid to the floor. 

"Ashram…….." Cecil said, in disbelief, as he got off of the severely wounded knight.

"I…………….I guess………..that really would have infuriated Karla………..huh?" Ashram murmured, as blood ran freely from the corner of his mouth.

"Don't try to talk, Black Knight, you're in very bad shape." Cecil said, in a state of shock over what had just happened.

"Lie still, Sir Ashram. Neese! We need you!" Spark shouted, getting Neese's attention, as Cecil kneeled next to the fallen warrior.

"Cecil…………I need someone to take care of my people……………and take of Pirotess……………if I don't………………." Ashram gasped, coughing painfully.

"Don't talk like that! You are going to make it! Don't tell me that you're going to let something like this kill you! Pirotess needs you more than she needs anyone else!" Cecil said, fighting tears as they came unbidden to his eyes. Finally, Neese arrived and started using her healing powers on Ashram. Cecil turned away from the sight of Ashram lying there, in obvious pain and obviously waiting to die. He turned his angry, tear-filled eyes to the sadistic Sahren. With a wordless cry, Cecil charged at the evil elf, but was stopped in mid-charge by a sharp dagger imbedding itself in his side. Cecil fell, clutching his side as blood flowed freely from the wound and watched in horror as more daggers appeared in Sahren's hands.

"Let's see how your loved ones look as living pincushions!" Sahren cackled in evil glee as he turned to single out his first target and…………….saw that the manacles were empty!

"Oh, yoo-hoo! Ugly! You bass-ackwards ninny! You can't even hit Karla's ass with those!" a taunting voice shouted, from the shadows. Sahren turned every which way, snarling and seething with rage. 

"Parn! That sounded like……………!" Deedlit trailed off when the owner of the voice appeared over the infuriated demon elf.

"Woodchuck!" Parn shouted, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"In person! And I have learned a new trick!" Woodchuck said, as the three captives made their way over to the Heroes of Lodoss.

"Ashram…………….Ashram can you hear me?" Pirotess murmured, as she made her way over to the Black Knight's side and touched his face with her hands. 

"Pirotess………….? Is it really you? Are you all right?" Ashram asked, looking incredibly relieved to see her.

"Yes. It is I. Please hang on. Don't die on me. Don't leave me alone." Pirotess begged, as tears came to her golden eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

"Shh………….don't cry……………….I'll stay…………..since I know that you are all right……." Ashram murmured, his breaths coming a little bit easier since Neese was healing him all the while. Lien went to Cecil, who was then trying to get to his feet, with a very concerned Deedlit at his side.

"Deedlit? What are you doing here? And who is this young man who bears such an uncanny resemblance to you?" Lien asked, as he helped Cecil get to his feet.

"I am your son, Cecil, Deedlit's half brother." Cecil said, softly, as he looked upon the face of his father for the very first time. 

"Enough with the chit-chat! It is time for you all to die!" Sahren shrieked, with an insane light in his eyes. With that said, he started using the stalactites from the ceiling to stab his enemies. But Cecil had a surprise for him. Even though he was in intense pain, Cecil stood on his own, and enacted a shielding spell that he had learned from Slayn. Then he raised a hand over his head, summoned a ball of light and threw it at Sahren, who screamed in agony as it impacted into him. 

"Father, Deedlit, Leaf, Sheen, Pirotess, I need your strength to defeat this evil; will you help me?" Cecil asked, turning to them as they watched him with looks of wonder on their faces.

"You know that Father and I will, Cecil." Deedlit replied.

"I will, absolutely." Leaf said, after she had kissed Cecil on the lips and whispering something to him, her eyes filled with love.

"Yes." Sheen agreed, as he stood beside Deedlit, despite his burns.

"I don't know why you are asking me, halfling, since I am a Dark Elf." Pirotess said, coolly.

"Pirotess, I need all the help I can get. It doesn't matter what types of elves seal this evil away, but it must be elves that do the sealing. Pirotess, even though you don't think so, you do have a brilliant, shining light in your heart. That light is the love you have for Ashram, and that will be enough to banish this demon back into the dark realm where he belongs, along with his dark horde. Please help us, Pirotess, so maybe you and Ashram could live in peace without fear of losing each other." Cecil said, gently. Pirotess was astonished by the gentleness of Cecil's tone, but left Ashram's side once she was certain that he was asleep and joined the others in the center of the room.

"Thank you, Pirotess." Cecil murmured, then turned to their mutual enemy.

"We call upon the ultimate elfin spirit of light and fairies, Oberon! Hear our plea and come to us! Seal away this evil now and forevermore! Send him to the land of endless night!" the six elves shouted together. There was a brilliant light and Sahren screamed in horror.

"No! NO!!!!!!!!!!" Sahren wailed, as he started crumbling into dust. This continued until there was nothing left of the evil elf. 

"**_Ah, so I see that the purest hearts have been gathered in this chamber! I sense that there are wishes that could be granted here! What is thy wish, Deedlit?_**" a regal voice asked.

"Mighty Oberon, king of the fairies, I wish for Parn to remain by my side as long as I live." Deedlit replied, honestly and respectfully.

"**_Marfa has told me much about you, Parn of Lodoss. You are worthy of this young elf maiden's love. And Pirotess, what is your wish?_**" Oberon asked, as he turned his attention to her.

"I wish the same for Ashram. I want him to be by my side as long as I live. I love him with all my heart and it would tear me apart if he left me." Pirotess said, baring her heart to the Fairy King.

"**_Ashram of Marmo….it seems that his path, that had been very dark until now, had just returned again to the light. He, too, is worthy of an elf maiden's love. Lien, what is your wish?_**" Oberon asked, to the shamefaced High Elf.

"Lord Oberon, I wish to reconcile myself to my family, my wife specifically. And I wish to get to know my son better." Lien replied, looking admiringly at Cecil as he said so. The Fairy King chuckled, good-naturedly. 

"**_You wished two things, Lien! But both will come to pass. Sheen, what is thy most fond wish?_**" Oberon asked, turning his attention to the elfin Mairi cleric.

"I wish for a love of my own, sir." Sheen said, blushing somewhat when he said that. Again the Fairy King laughed.

"**_That you will have, in due time, Sheen! And Leaf, what is your wish?_**" Oberon asked, as Leaf looked over at Cecil.

"I wish I knew whether or not Cecil loves me as much as I love him!" Leaf said, getting an all around chuckle as Cecil face-faulted (with a leg still twitching in the air).

"**_That one can be answered right away! Cecil? Have you anything to say to her?_**" Oberon asked. Cecil got up off the ground, walked up to Leaf, and kissed her so passionately that it left her breathless. 

"I believe that was his final answer." Woodchuck muttered, getting a laugh out of all those around them.

"**_Like father, like son. Cecil, what is your wish? What is your fondest desire?_**" Oberon asked. Cecil looked thoughtful for a moment, then looked at Parn and Deedlit.

"Do you think Ghim and Orson would object too much to coming back to life?" Cecil asked. Parn's jaw dropped and Deedlit just stared at him in disbelief. Oberon chuckled.

"**_I don't think they will mind too much. But Ghim will be a little bit younger than what you remember him being. Orson will remain the same, except he will no longer have to worry about Hyuri. Is this thy wish, Cecil?_**" Oberon asked.

"That, and I wish for a happy and peaceful future between Lodoss and Marmo. Bring our friends back to us, Oberon, King of the Fairies." Cecil replied, with a smile.

"**_Then be it so._**" Oberon said, disappearing in a flash and leaving two somewhat befuddled warriors standing where the light had been previously.

"Ghim! Orson!" Parn shouted, as he and a few others rushed over to the dwarf and young man.

"Parn! You've grown up on me, you crazy knight wannabe!" Ghim said, then looked at the faces that surrounded him. Some were familiar, others were not.

"Are you Ghim?" Neese asked.

"Yes, but who are you?" Ghim asked, somewhat confused.

"I am Neese, daughter of Leilia and Slayn!" Neese replied, with a smile.

"Leilia's DAUGHTER?!? Parn, you need to explain some things to me!" Ghim said, as Parn chuckled about his reaction to meeting the granddaughter of his old friend, Old Neese. Orson was talking with Cecil, who looked happy to have his friend back. Then Orson noticed something.

"Cecil, I didn't know you were a half-elf." Orson said, as he looked at the sides of Cecil's head.

"Huh?" Cecil asked, as he reached up to touch his ears and found that they were now quite elfin. 

"Wow! Oberon's power must have changed them! Now you and Deedlit look almost identical!" Leaf said, as she gently tugged on Cecil's ears and lovingly kissed him. Cecil blushed.

"I guess now I'll live forever, huh, Pirotess?" Ashram said, having awakened when Pirotess had called his name during her wish.

"As long as I live, Ashram." Pirotess said, before kissing him gently.

"I'm so glad to have you back." Ashram murmured, before drifting back into slumber.

"And I am glad to be back near you, as well, Ashram." Pirotess said, as she settled down beside him, placing her head on his chest and falling asleep almost as easily as he had. 

"We'll rest here for a while, since we've all had a rough time. Then we'll head back up to the land of the living and leave the underworld for good!" Spark said, getting an agreement from all that were in there.


	8. Chapter Eight: The Heroes' Triumph

Chapter Eight: The Heroes' Triumph

Shiris sighed with relief. The battle was over! She and her men had been fighting since dawn until the evil elves suddenly disappeared, like so many bad dreams. As she wiped the sweat from her brow, she looked at the entrance to the 'underworld' and grinned when she saw her friends emerging from the depths, looking a little ragged, but none the worse for wear. Then she saw someone that she hadn't seen in eleven years. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. It couldn't be him!

"Shiris!" a familiar voice called out to her, joyfully, as its owner dashed across the sand to her, his tanned face smiling the happiest smile she had ever seen. 

"Orson?…………………ORSON!!" Shiris shouted, as she ran to meet him, crying and laughing as she got caught up into his strong embrace. 

"Orson………………….Aish'teru Orson…………….Aish'teru……….." Shiris sobbed, as she buried her face into his shoulder and breathed in his scent. 

"Aish'teru, Shiris. Aish'teru itsu made mo." Orson murmured, as he held the sobbing Dragon Rider queen close, and as her men surrounded the couple.

"I do believe that she is happy to see him?" Ashram asked, dryly. 

"I should say so." Pirotess said, as she watched the two reunite.

"But weren't you the same way when I returned from Fire Dragon Mountain eleven years ago?" Ashram asked, sounding almost teasing, as he and the other Heroes walked up the beach to where Shiris and Orson waited. Cecil smiled as he watched the reunion between lovers and he held Leaf close, but having to be a little more careful, since his ears were now elfin and had a tendency to poke peoples' eyes when he wasn't careful.

"Don't worry, son, you'll get used to it, eventually." Lien said, as he ruffled his son's hair and joined his daughter and future son-in-law for the reunion. 

"Cecil, when you'd said peaceful coexistence between Marmo and Lodoss, did you mean that the people of Marmo would live on the island of Lodoss as well?" Ashram asked. Cecil shook his head.

"In the last battle against Wagnard, Marfa revitalized and purified the island of Marmo and made it almost as beautiful as Lodoss. Ashram, you can go home." Cecil said, with an almost sad smile.

"Home…………….it is such a strange word to me. I haven't had a home since my parents died. I guess I will have to get used to it, won't I?" Ashram said, with a bittersweet smile on his own face.

"Hey! This is cause for celebration! Let's get to the nearest town and show all of Lodoss how to throw a party!" Garrack shouted, getting a laugh out of everyone, even Ashram, who just chuckled and shook his head. 

As word got out of the victory in the Labyrinth, Lodoss celebrated alongside her heroes. With a lot of reluctance, Kashue had allowed the Heroes to return to Flaim for a feast (of course he didn't enjoy it very much, since he and Ashram spent the entire time glancing nervously at one another). Afterwards, Parn, Deedlit, Cecil, Leaf and Lien traveled back to the Forest of No Return to face Haliel. Rouwan was the one who greeted them at the forest's edge, tearfully and joyfully embracing his brother and niece and nephew. 

"I see that you have returned safely from your journey! It looks like Oberon has touched the Knight of Lodoss! This means you are welcome to come to the Forest of No Return whenever you want, Sir Knight. Come, the others must know of your return!" Rouwan said, as he led them into the forest. Like before, the fairies welcomed Cecil and Leaf, but this time even Parn was welcomed!

"Deed! They're all singing! This is incredible!" Parn said, with a laugh. Deedlit laughed too; it had been far too long since she'd seen the shine of childlike wonder in Parn's eyes.

"They know that we are connected, Parn. One of them might even single you out and be your partner for life." Deedlit said, giggling as one fairy in particular grab a loose strand of hair and swung in front of Parn's face, chattering away.

"Hello! I'm Chime! I wanna be your friend if you'll be mine!" the fairy said, excitedly. Parn glanced at Deedlit.

"Say yes, Parn." Deedlit said, gently, as a fairy joined her.

"Okay, Chime. I guess we're friends now." Parn said, laughing as the fairy let out a tiny whoop and immediately took a seat in his hair, hanging on to his headband as though it were a handlebar. 

"A lifelong friendship has just been made. Cecil and Leaf have also just gotten their fairy companions." Deedlit said, as she watched Cecil talk to another fairy, whose name was Ripple, and as Leaf chatted with a fairy named Gusty. 

"What's your fairy's name, Deed?" Cecil asked, as Ripple sat on his ear.

"This is Shimmer. C'mon, the elders are waiting." Deedlit said, as she led the way into the clearing where they had met the elders before. Haliel stood haughtily with them, as they watched the five of them enter the clearing. Haliel's eyes widened when she saw Lien, and she put a hand to her mouth to keep from crying out. With a shame-bowed head, Lien approached his estranged wife and kneeled before her.

"Haliel, I know I have done wrong, and I am sorry for it. Could you ever find it in your heart to forgive me? I want for us both to get to know Cecil better and be happy for him as he enters married life, and as our daughter does the same." Lien said, his crystalline blue eyes sparkling with hope as he looked up at the regal elf woman before him.

"Rise, Lien. Cecil, please step forward." Haliel commanded. Cecil did as he was told and reverently approached her. 

"Your ears, child, what caused them to change?" Haliel asked, noticing that Cecil actually looked like a half elf this time. 

"The Fairy King, Oberon, changed them, Lady Haliel." Cecil replied, quietly, flinching when she touched the ears with her silky smooth hands.

"Now you and Deedlit look so much alike……………….you both look like your father. The same crystal blue eyes and long golden hair. Oh Cecil! I was wrong to call you what I did! So wrong!" Haliel said, as she hugged the surprised Cecil. Cecil's expression then softened and he hugged the once belligerent elf back. All had been forgiven.

"Cecil, does your mother yet live?" Haliel asked. Cecil shook his head.

"She died in an invasion when I was about seven years old." Cecil replied, softly. Haliel's expression softened into one of pity as she held her husband's son's face in her hands. 

"I would be honored, Cecil, if you would call me 'mother'." Haliel said, after a long silence. Deedlit's jaw dropped, giving Parn a look that was filled with daggers when he picked up Deedlit's jaw and closed her mouth, much like Cecil had to Spark before their journey had begun.

"And I in turn would be honored to call you that…………Mother….." Cecil replied, with a smile.

"Well, I'll be………….." Leaf muttered, getting a laugh from all as she put her hands on her hips and giving Cecil a look that said 'what do you think you're doin' goin' and getting' a mother-in-law, eh?'. 

"Welcome home, Cecil and Lien, warriors of the Forest of No Return." The elders, including Haliel said, as they encircled the five travelers. And, as a breeze blew through the forest, Cecil heard the forest's voice in the wind.

"_Welcome home._" The forest whispered.

"_Thank you._" Cecil thought, with a smile, as a celebration began and elves and fairies alike started singing songs that no one but the elves and the newcomers could understand. 

~ _Owari_ ~


End file.
